Jordanian Marketing System for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables A KAFA’A Assessment Submitted by the Academy for Educational Development March 17, 2004 Prepared by: Rich Magnani Senior Agribusiness Advisor Ruby Assad Marketing Coordinator Dr. Samir El-Habbab Agribusiness Consultant Table of Contents Abbreviations and Acronyms ............................................................................................. 3 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 4 Purpose............................................................................................................................ 4 The Opportunity.............................................................................................................. 4 Constraints to High Value Exports ................................................................................. 5 Export Market Linkages ................................................................................................. 6 Production Linkages ....................................................................................................... 7 Private Sector Institutional Leader.................................................................................. 7 Recommendations to Strengthen JEPA .......................................................................... 9 A New Company........................................................................................................... 10 Export Constraints ............................................................................................................ 11 Technology Transfer and EurepGAP Training............................................................. 12 Accredited Pesticide Residue Analysis Laboratories ................................................... 13 Grades and Standards.................................................................................................... 13 Domestic Market Information....................................................................................... 13 International Market Information ................................................................................. 14 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 15 Wholesale Marketing System ....................................................................................... 16 Municipal Wholesale Markets .................................................................................. 17 Assembly markets..................................................................................................... 17 Sorting, Grading, and Packing Facilities .................................................................. 18 Packing and Packaging Materials ............................................................................. 18 Pre-Cooling Units ..................................................................................................... 19 Cold storage Units..................................................................................................... 19 Key Constraints and Proposed Interventions.................................................................... 19 Improved Access to International Buyers..................................................................... 21 Promote Production Linkages among Exporters and Small Farmers ........................... 22 The Modern Valley Farms Model............................................................................. 23 Integrated Agricultural Project Model ...................................................................... 23 Private Sector Institutional Support - the Role of JEPA............................................... 23 Export Market Dimensions ............................................................................................... 27 Gulf and Middle East Markets...................................................................................... 27 EU Fruit Markets .......................................................................................................... 29 Strawberries .............................................................................................................. 29 Table Grapes ............................................................................................................. 30 Galia Melons............................................................................................................. 31 EU Vegetable Markets.................................................................................................. 31 Fine Green Beans...................................................................................................... 31 Cherry Tomatoes....................................................................................................... 33 Snow and Snap Peas ................................................................................................. 33 Asparagus.................................................................................................................. 33 Other EU Crop Opportunities ....................................................................................... 33 Annex A. EU-Jordan Partnership Agreement................................................................... 35 ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Abbreviations and Acronyms AMD Agriculture Marketing Department (Ministry of Agriculture) EurepGAP Euro-Retailer Produce Good Agricultural Practices GAP Good Agricultural Practices GCC Gulf Cooperation Council HEIA Egyptian Horticulture Improvement Association JEDCO Jordan Export Development and Commercial Centers Corporation JEPA Jordan Exporters and Producers Association NCARTT National Center for Agriculture Research and Technology Transfer TTS Technical Transfer Specialists 3 Executive Summary Purpose The purpose of this mission is to assess the constraints that restrict the production, distribution, and marketing of horticulture produce in export markets, with a focus on high quality and less water intensive produce. The output of the mission is to recommend and prioritize KAFAA project interventions that will: • • • • Allow existing exporters to increase sales in export markets; Increase the number of exporters able to penetrate these export markets; Increase the numbers of farmers that are participating in sales to these export markets: and, Enhance high quality sales opportunities in the local market. These outputs will provide the foundation for subsequent design and implementation of an export marketing plan. Conclusions and Recommendations The Opportunity Jordanian exports of high quality produce to European, Gulf (GCC), Middle East markets are small in volume, and small relative to production. The dominant flow of exports is low to mid-quality vegetables (with smaller volumes of fruits) to Arab markets. Produce exports to more quality discriminating markets, for example in the EU, remain very small. In 2002 only 1,174 tons of fruit and 21,487 tons of vegetables were exported to non-Arab markets. Of this amount, Western Europe accounted for only 206 tons of fruit, and 2,620 tons of vegetable exports. Israel, Turkey, and countries of Eastern Europe accounted for the majority of exports to non-Arab countries. Contrast this volume with at least 15 non-EU competitor exporters that shipped more than 200,000 tons of fruit to the EU in 2001, and at least 8 non-EU competitors that shipped in excess of 40,000 tons of vegetables to the EU. Obviously, Jordan lacks the resource base to achieve these export volumes, but clearly has the opportunity to dramatically expand the export volume of high quality fruits and vegetables. Numerous crop opportunities are available during the production off-season in the EU for high quality exports – strawberries, seedless table grapes, galia melons, cherry tomatoes, 4 asparagus, okra, fine green beans, and snow/snap peas to name a few1. Many of these products offer similar opportunities in high quality retail markets in the GCC. Profit potential will vary dramatically depending, in large part, on the timing of shipments during the marketing window and the position of competitive exporters during these same time periods. Volumes and profits will rise to the extent that Jordanian farmers and exporters can capitalize on early (or late harvest) periods before (or after) competitors enter the markets. Perhaps as many as 20 medium to large exporters of high quality produce may emerge if the constraints discussed below can be resolved. These exporters have the potential to spread the benefits to many other small farmers that have the willingness and capability to join in production agreements with exporters. A small volume opportunity exists for high quality produce in the domestic market, but is limited to higher income consumers in Amman. The high income consumer base to target is probably between 5% and 10% of the population of Amman. Constraints to High Value Exports Numerous studies have diagnosed the constraints, and many problems have been noted. These include: • • • • • • • • • • Production and marketing extension support to farmers that need experience in post-harvest handling; Cold chain infrastructure from field to air or truck shipping points such as precooling, cold storage, and refrigerated trucking ; Market research and market information systems; Accredited laboratories for pesticide residue analysis; Enforcement of quality standards; Regulatory structure of the wholesale market system ; Airfreight rates to EU markets and air cargo capacities; Jordanian EurepGAP Certification Body (CB); Water quality in the Jordan Valley that affects crops exported to the EU; and, Quality of locally produced packaging materials. We contend that some of these issues are not significant constraints. The wholesale market structure primarily affects bulk volume exports to GCC and Middle East markets, but regulations prohibit farm sales direct to retailer grocery shops. Thus, farmers interested in producing high quality produce and selling directly to retailers that target consumers who are willing to pay for higher quality produce are unable to do so. Air freight rates are not unreasonably high and adequate cargo capacity for produce is available if planned in advance. EurepGAP certification can be obtained from any 1 Crop opportunities are based on previous market window analyses which require updating. 5 number of international CBs.2 While the vast majority of farms lack pre-cooling and cold storage, arrangements (discussed below) can be made to alleviate these problems. The refrigerated trucking fleet is old, but a few modern trucking services are available. As more exporters demand better refrigerated trucking services, service competition will increase and rates will decline. The Agriculture Credit Corporation is preparing a plan to finance the purchase of refrigerated trucks to increase the fleet size to 2,400 trucks. Poor water quality is a significant issue but can be solved with installation of costly desalinization equipment. And good quality packaging materials are easily imported. The other issues impose more significant constraints. However, activities along several fronts supported by the World Bank Horticulture Export Promotion and Technology Transfer project are directly addressing these constraints. This support is allowing JEDCO, NCARTT, and the AMD to work toward solving these problems. Implicitly our recommendations will require coordination with and, more important, cooperation of KAFAA and the World Bank sponsored activities. So why are high quality exports of Jordanian produce so small? The almost unanimous feedback from stakeholders (exporters, farmers, government representatives) interviewed for this mission focus on two factors. 1. Linkages to the export markets 2. Production linkages between exporters and farmers. Trends in export markets shape the signals from import buyers to exporters that are the fundamental driving force in the production to market chain3. Nonetheless we believe that the production linkage deficiencies are a more serious problem in Jordan than linkages to export markets as discussed below. Export Market Linkages Only a few exporters have made the necessary investments to their production and postharvest handling systems to meet the stringent quality requirements of EU buyers. These quality requirements generally exceed those in the high quality retail grocery segment in GCC markets. These few exporters have taken the necessary steps to establish market linkages with export buyers. The process is straightforward but certainly not easy. It requires direct contact with prospective buyers through trade shows, market study tours, or other means to identify buyer needs (variety, quality specifications, price, volume, timing, payment terms, etc.). If the exporter is product ready, trial shipments typically follow. Feedback from the buyer allows the exporter to make adjustments and if all goes well, a buyer/seller relationship is established. If the exporter is not product ready he/she 2 Although we believe that a Jordanian EurepGAP CB is not necessary to promote EurepGAP certification, we recommend that an assessment of costs and benefits of establishing a local CB be conducted so that an informed decision can be made. 3 Throughout this report the term importers encompasses the retail supermarket buyer. In fact, not all supermarkets directly import; some work through independent importers and wholesale agents. 6 must make the necessary changes (EurepGAP certification, different varieties, etc.) in order to prepare trial shipments. We believe that linkages to export buyers are not an overwhelming constraint. JEDCO sponsored study tours and trade shows offer ample opportunity for serious exporters to contact buyers. And contact is not limited to market visits. Donor support can facilitate buyer missions to Jordan to present market requirements to farmers and exporters. Why are there so few exporters of high quality produce? Investment requirements are significant, and collateral requirements to obtain investment credit are high. Some stakeholders reported that most exporters are not sufficiently serious to expend the effort and money. Others reported a shortage of entrepreneurial ability. Yet others noted that access to more land (leased or purchased) is financially too risky, and that establishing supply arrangements with farmers is an unknown, and thus, also too risky. Production Linkages Exporters want more high quality production and cannot or do not want to expand into new production areas, and farmers want access to better markets. Both groups can be served through formal or informal supply arrangements (variously referred to as contracting, pre-contracting, and satellite farming). These arrangements are difficult to establish for various reasons. The relationship must be based on trust between farmer and exporter. A legal contract becomes meaningless if the one party anticipates bad faith from the other. The increasing importance of produce quality and safety requires that farmers supplying exporters to the EU become EurepGAP certified, and retailers of high quality produce in the GCC are moving to requiring GAP certification. This requires investments of money and effort by farmers. Supply arrangements can also fail because of insufficient support from the exporter to the farmer, or if dramatically different spot market and contracted prices cause one of two parties to renege on the contract. At least two farmer supply models are being used with success in Jordan. Modern Valley Farms, the only EurepGAP certified exporter in Jordan, works with 4 farmers under contracts. And the Integrated Agricultural Project model has organized 8 farmers to produce okra and sweet peas that are marketed by Modern Valley Farms, but with a different contract mechanism. The Integrated Project model does require a one-time subsidy for infrastructure to prepare the farmers for EurepGAP, and to pay the farm manager’s salary for the first year. We believe that these models can be and should be replicated with other exporters and other farmers. Private Sector Institutional Leader Another critical deficiency not recognized by many stakeholders is the need for a private sector institutional body capable of organizing exporters and farmers and delivering needed services to increase productive capacity, high quality production, and expanding 7 market linkages to export buyers. We believe that the Jordan Exporters and Producers Association for Fruits and Vegetables (JEPA) should fill this role. However, JEPA as currently structured, financed, and operated cannot serve this purpose. JEPA must be revitalized and strengthened if it is to be effective in expanding production and exports of high quality produce. A strong association can provide other benefits which include the following: • Advocate for regulatory change to support the produce export sub-sector. JEPA would analyze regulations to assess the costs and benefits of regulatory change, write position papers, and represent the private sector in dialogue with the government. An example would be the recommendation by JEPA management to petition the government to allow JEPA to issue Certificates of Origin rather than the Chamber of Commerce. Issuance of the Certificates would be a source of revenue for JEPA. For controversial or sensitive issues JEPA should request KAFAA to participate. KAFFA will lend a sense of objectivity to the government that JEPA may not be able to present. • Self-regulate the sub-sector by requiring that all members adhere to a JEPA Code of Conduct that stipulates a minimum standard of conduct focusing on the elimination of extra-legal and unethical business practices. The Code can be used as tool by JEPA to build credibility with the government and among players in the horticulture sub-sector. • Provide training for producer/exporters and, to the extent practical, public sector extension agents, in a variety of agronomic disciplines, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and specifically EurepGAP, post-harvest handling, and packing and packaging. This can be coordinated with NCARTT (perhaps on a fee based agreement) which will soon hire 16 Technical Transfer Specialists (TTS) to train farmers in appropriate technology. Alternatively, JEPA could hire agricultural engineers to be trained by NCARTT to serve JEPA members, and possibly public sector extension agents. Another option is to send JEPA staff for training by the Horticultural Export Improvement Association (HEIA) in Cairo. HEIA has established a strong staff of training specialists. • Promote production linkages between JEPA exporters and farmers using the Modern Valley Farms or the Integrated Agricultural Projects model. JEPA would need to negotiate an agreement with Modern Valley Farms to perhaps use their trainers to train other exporters and farmers. A source of funding must be identified if JEPA is to promote the Integrated Agricultural Project model. • Work directly with JEDCO as it develops the web-based international market information system, so that JEPA can be prepared to assume responsibility for managing and maintaining the information system. • Establish a JEPA Seal of Quality based on a comprehensive quality control system with internal quality standards following the approach used by HEIA to 8 develop its Seal of Quality. Only produce that meets these minimum quality standards are eligible to use the Seal. • Organize conferences and workshops and invite EU buyers to discuss consumption trends, market dynamics, and market requirements for fruits and vegetables. These services should be promoted to farmers as well as exporters and can be used to create a membership category for small farmers. Member dues for these farmers would be far less than for exporters and larger farmers and would not include full membership voting rights. Recommendations to Strengthen JEPA The objective is to strengthen JEPA so it can become a self-sustaining association that can effectively represent member interests in advocating for policy change, and attract and maintain a larger base of members willing to pay for a selected menu of services that offer value. Though an initial external source of funding is required, service fees and membership dues must reach a level to fully support the association, perhaps in 3 to 5 years. Donor dependency has to be avoided, and can be avoided if the JEPA board and management establish a rational action and growth plan which is fully transparent to membership. Our recommendations are as follows: • Hire a professional executive manager with experience in horticulture production and/or horticulture marketing. • The KAFAA project should provide a part-time institutional advisor who will do the following: o Provide operational and strategic support to management and the Board of Directors; o Develop good association governance practices to ensure transparency to members; o Assist in redrafting the JEPA mission statement; o Assist in developing a JEPA Code of Conduct; o Ensure coordination between the World Bank project sponsored activities (with JEDCO, AMD, and NCARTT) and KAFAA to avoid duplication and to ensure efficient use of financial and technical assistance; and, o Develop, with the board and the executive manager, a rational action plan for developing expertise to provide fee-based services for members, and guide the JEPA staff in executing the plan. • Hire a junior agricultural engineer to work directly with JEDCO to: 9 o Develop expertise in conducting marketing studies, study tours, and participating in trade exhibitions, and o Develop expertise in managing and maintaining the web-based international market information system so that JEPA becomes the natural home for the web-site when JEDCO transfers the site to the private sector. • Increase JEPA membership dues from JD 100 per year. The level of dues will depend, in part, on the level of services JEPA decides to offer, and the extent of outside funding available. • Establish a cost-sharing arrangement for services with members from the outset to avoid a common problem with externally financed associations; that services will continue to be free. JEPA will not be able to rely on external sources of finance in the long-term, and so will have to depend on service and membership dues revenues in order to be sustainable. Initial cost-sharing can be a small percentage of the cost of providing the service, but over time a larger portion of the cost burden can be shifted to members that receive the service. The cost recovery plan should be apparent to members from the beginning. • Board terms should be staggered. Currently, the entire Board is re-elected at the same time. Board terms should remain at 2 years, but elections should be held every year for only one-half of the Board. The other half can be elected the following year. A New Company Concerns about export performance of the horticulture sub-sector have led to considerable debate about establishing a new private sector company to increase exports, but as yet no consensus regarding its structure or business objectives has emerged. Some stakeholders want a new commercial post-harvest center for cooling, sorting, and packing that can be rented by farmers and exporters that otherwise lack access to these facilities. Other stakeholders want a privately owned marketing company that, in addition to cooling, sorting, and packing, will directly market the produce. While there may be a need for a post-harvest commercial center, we believe other more critical steps need to be taken first that will build demand for a center. These steps discussed above include expanding export marketing linkages, production linkages to farmers, and strengthening JEPA. Otherwise, the investment may be wasted. We do not believe that a new export marketing company, as currently envisioned to leverage production from numerous small farmers and to cool, sort, package, and market high quality produce, can be viable. We believe that the necessary pre-requisites are to improve the production linkages to small farmers through training and other methods of technology transfer which can be accelerated through a stronger JEPA. As this is accomplished exporters will be more interested in contracting for their production. JEPA can play the important role of bringing more farmers and exporters together under production contracts. 10 Export Constraints Our methodology for assessing marketing opportunities and export constraints is as follows: • • • Demand Pull: focus on what the market wants, when, and how much will it pay—rather than pushing existing production similar to the patterns of bulk produce exports to Arab markets; Increase Efficiency: find ways to cut the costs of production and movement of produce through the distribution system to final domestic and export customers, and; System Improvement: improve technical, physical, and market linkages throughout the production marketing system using tools and techniques such as production contracts, and enforcement of grades and standards. Constraints in Jordan that have resulted in low levels of high quality fruit and vegetable exports are many and well known as a result of many studies by donor agencies and local authorities in recent years. Previous studies have evaluated the various physical and institutional infrastructure deficiencies and have concluded the following: • • • • • • • Weak farm extension system which lacks the tools and resources to transfer knowledge to farmers to support improved production of exportable fruits and vegetables. As a result exporters must invest to provide their own extension services; The small number of producer/exporters that have EurepGAP certification which will soon be a requirement for all produce exporters to the EU. EurepGAP certification will also be a valuable selling tool in non-EU markets, particularly high value retail markets in the GCC and in Eastern Europe; The absence of accredited laboratories in Jordan for pesticide and heavy metals residue analysis for exports, resulting in costly delays at import sites where testing must be done; No enforcement of grades and standards which encourages the export of low to mid-quality produce to Arab markets, and damages the reputation of Jordanian produce; Inadequate market research and domestic marketing information available to farmers, particularly for crop planting intentions and prices, resulting in uninformed planting and marketing decisions. Similarly, international marketing information on export requirements and linkages to buyers is inadequate; Air transportation costs and cargo capacity availability that do not encourage produce exports; Inadequate cold chain from farm to market including on-farm pre-cooling and cold storage systems, an old refrigerated trucking fleet, and the absence of produce operations at the cold storage facility at Queen Alia airport. These 11 • deficiencies increase post-harvest losses, and significantly reduce product quality and shelf life; and, A wholesale market structure that limits the development of a higher quality local market segment and encourages the export of low to mid-quality produce to Middle East and Gulf (GCC) markets. The discussion below assesses these constraints. Technology Transfer and EurepGAP Training The Ministry of Agriculture lacks the resources to improve the capacity of its extension workers to provide technical support to fruit and vegetable farmers. NCARTT, with the direct support of the World Bank Horticulture Export Promotion and Technology Transfer Project, is working to enhance the capacity to transfer technology directly to farmers. In March – April 2004, NCARTT will hire 16 Technology Transfer Specialists (TTS) who will be trained for 3 months before being placed in the field to work directly with farmers. Each of the TTS will be a crop specific specialist. To support the work of the TTS, NCARTT will develop up to 30 export crop protocols that will assist the TTS in training farmers in GAP, and more specifically EurepGAP. In addition, Dr. Abdel Nabi Fardous, Soil and Irrigation Director General of NCARTT has indicated an interest in developing a model for satellite (or contract) farming for NCARTT. Dr. Fardous expressed interest in cooperating with KAFAA and JEPA to develop a model(s) and further indicating a willingness to explore ways in which the TTS could train JEPA exporters and their contract farmers. EurepGAP is a protocol aimed at reducing food safety risks, environmental risks, and worker welfare through a series of best practices (Good Agricultural Practices otherwise known as GAP) and reference points that can be measured and monitored before the product reaches the farm gate. By the end of 2004, or shortly thereafter, EurepGAP will be a requirement of all exporters of fresh produce to the EU. EurepGAP will not be a requirement for exporters to GCC, Middle East, or even Eastern European markets, but exporters that intend to target high quality retailers in these markets should become GAP or EurepGAP certified. It is only a matter of time before large supermarket chains in the GCC begin to require GAP certification. Certified exporters will be far better prepared to meet buyer requirements. As of this writing Modern Valley Farms is the only Jordanian exporter that is EurepGAP certified. JEDCO has started the process of training farmers in EurepGAP. In late March 2004, trainers from Center for Promotion of Imports (CBI), a Dutch company, will provide training for 15 farmers in Jordan, which will lead to certification for the farmers. KAFAA hopes to coordinate with JEDCO to include selected private and public sector extension workers to particulate in the training sessions. 12 Accredited Pesticide Residue Analysis Laboratories The Ministry of Agriculture laboratories for pesticide residue analysis and the NCARTT laboratory for heavy metals residue analysis are not internationally accredited. As EU importers increasingly require EurepGAP certification, it is essential that these labs obtain accreditation. While both labs provide analysis for produce exporters, the lack of accreditation cause some importers, particularly in the EU, to conduct analysis at EU accredited labs. This adds cost and time delays in reaching markets. Both agencies have a plan in place to achieve accreditation. The World Bank project is providing funding for the pesticide residue analysis lab which will result in a new building and new installed equipment by the end of 2004. The expansion will more than double the residue analysis capacity of the lab. The lab will soon begin ISO training for staff and when the new lab is functional ISO certification followed by HACCP certification processes will begin. NCARTT’s heavy metals lab will follow the same timetable for ISO certification. Grades and Standards The absence of a quality standards system contributes to the image of low quality Jordanian produce in GCC markets, and hinders exports to the EU. Without such a system there are no regulatory mechanisms in place to require exporters to identify their produce according to standards specified in the regulations. Jordan has yet to fully implement a quality standards system for fruits and vegetables, but as it is obligatory under WTO, the AMD, with World Bank support, is working to implement a technical system. The steps include the establishment of a set of quality standards consistent with international standards, and then to establish a conformity agency that can provide ISO certified inspection and testing services. The AMD is working with The Jordan Institute for Standards and Metrology (JISM) to establish a Product Conformity Certification Program. JISM selected Bureau Veritas as the entity that will be responsible for issuing conformity certificates attesting that produce tested are in accordance with required standards. Bureau Veritas will become accredited according to international laboratory and testing standards. The AMD indicates that the system will be fully operational by early 2005. According to the Director of the AMD, establishment of the quality standards and use of a label on exported product to identify the produce according to standard will be obligatory, but the issuance of conformity certificates for exporters will be voluntary. Domestic Market Information Farmers want to make informed decisions based on reliable market information. However, most farmers obtain information on the local market from their neighbors and from commission agents. And many decisions are made by following the leading farmers in the area. Leading farmers can help speed replication of new technologies, but can also result in planting duplication which can excessively increase production and lower prices. 13 AMD of the Ministry of Agriculture provides daily domestic market information by request. The AMD faxes the information to about 30 recipients – mostly exporters. The daily information on more than 16 crops including prices (daily high, low, and most frequent), daily market volume, container weight in kg of product, comparison of most frequent price with the previous day, import quantities and prices and country of origin (important for products coming from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon being trans-shipped to GCC markets), and highest price for the highest quality. The information covers the Amman, Irbid, and Zarka municipal wholesale markets. The report does not include movements of product from the 3 wholesale markets to domestic retail, processing and catering markets or export. The AMD attempted to collect these data but were unable to obtain them from the commission agents. The AMD will establish an expanded web-based market information system with the financial support of the World Bank project. The AMD is procuring hardware and software to set up the system. According to the AMD the most requested market information that is not now available is vegetable crop planting intentions. Farmers can use this information early in the season to make alternate planting decisions for seasonal vegetable crops. This information could help ameliorate seasonal production variations. Otherwise farmers will make planting decisions based, in part, on last season’s harvest and current prices. Thus, short crops that lead to high prices will encourage excessive plantings and resulting in very large production and much lower prices. The opposite can occur in the following season. However, the AMD has been unable to obtain the cooperation of the agriculture extension service to obtain these data. Other possibilities include collecting and disseminating hourly price and quantity data to producing areas. Then farmers could decide quickly when to take his produce to the wholesale markets. This would be a valuable market tool, but the costs of implementation are not clear. Enumerators would be required to record hourly transactions from commission agents and then submit them electronically to selected production areas where the prices and quantities would be posted in written form. International Market Information The World Bank project is supporting JEDCO to develop a web-based international market information system. The World Bank project reports that the ultimate objective is to transfer the completed information system to a private sector organization. International market information is clearly important particularly for newcomers to export or to a new market. General information on international markets, production, consumption and trade statistics, importer and freight forwarder contacts, import regulations, duties, shipping requirements, price trends, and so on, is valuable. However, information systems are in no way a substitute for direct contacts with buyers to forge deals. 14 Transportation Air Transport Small volumes of high quality produce are shipped by air primarily to the EU, with smaller volumes to the US by less than 10 Jordanian exporters via Royal Jordanian Airlines. There is also some export of specialty produce and flowers by air to Saudi Arabia. That almost no fruits and vegetables use the modern airport cold storage facility underscores the low volumes of produce export by air.4 Air freight rates are not a significant export constraint. Current rates to London are $0.85/kg, $0.66/kg to Western Europe, and $0.35/kg to Dubai. (These rates are reported to be 20%-25% less than general dry cargo rates as incentive to use air freight). Nor is air cargo capacity a significant constraint. Royal Jordanian runs 5 cargo freighters each week to Europe: 1 to London, 1 to Hahn in Germany, and 3 to Maastricht. These are A-310 freighters with cargo capacities of 38 tons each. Exporters can also ship via passenger aircraft, though cargo capacities are lower. Royal Jordanian has daily flights to London, and 3 flights per week to Paris. The cargo capacity of these passenger flights varies from 7 to 12 tons each, depending on the season and the different passenger aircraft used. Rarely does an airline satisfy exporters regarding timing, carrying capacities, and destinations. For example, exporters to London report shortages of carrying capacity during the harvest season. Alternatives are to store the product overnight at the cold storage facility, or ship to Maastricht and forward ship via freight forwarder by truck to London (roughly 10 hours at $0.10 - $0.20/kg). Neither is an optimum solution when an exporter wants to satisfy an importer with on-time delivery, but neither are they hurdles that cannot be reasonably overcome. Land Transport The number of refrigerated truck in Jordan in 2003 is about 1,200 trucks. Most of the truck transport fleet is old; the World Bank estimates that 90% of the total fleet is older than 20 years. Nevertheless, some exporters interviewed for this mission reported that modern and efficient refrigerated trucking services are available. The greater problem reported is the high costs of providing good service to European markets given the small volume exported. This problem will be solved by competitive market forces as volumes increase and more trucking companies enter the trucking market. The Agriculture Credit Corporation is preparing a plan to finance the purchase of refrigerated trucks. They have estimated that the fleet size should increase to 2,400 trucks from the current estimate of 1,200. Relative trucking and air freight costs are shown in the 2 tables below. 4 Operating rates at the airport cold storage facility are not restricting its use. The current rate reported by the Airport Cargo Manager is 2-3 piasters per kg per 24 hours. The cold store managers have discussed eliminating all charges if it will encourage use of the facility. 15 Cost of Transport per Truck Destination Lebanon Kuwait Bahrain UAE Saudi Arabia Cost ($ per Truck) 900 1,500 1,800 2,200 1,600-1,800 Overland and Air Transportation Costs Destination Gulf States Lebanon Western Europe London Overland ($/kg) 0.14 0.07-0.1 0.37-0.42 --- Air ($/kg) 0.35 --0.66 0.85 Wholesale Marketing System The primary concern with the structure and operations of the wholesale marketing system is that the system contributes to exports to GCC and Middle East markets of large volumes of low to mid-quality product. Official quality standards for fruits and vegetables are not implemented so there is no regulatory check on product exports. The result is that almost all Jordanian products in these markets have a low quality image. The structure also contributes to the entry of regional exporters that purchase from the municipal markets, grade and sort to improve quality and then sell in GCC and Middle East markets at higher prices. The value-added function, in these cases, is captured by non-Jordanian exporters. Regulations prohibit farmers from selling directly to retailers within the municipality borders; instead they must sell their products to the wholesale market. Thus farmers who want to market directly to retailers that seek high quality produce cannot do so. This prohibition adds a layer of difficulty and cost to retailers interested in selling higher quality produce. (The added cost is the 4% fee that must be paid to the wholesale market.) We believe that this regulation should be changed. Another change to improve the quality of locally sold produce would be to establish a stall in each of the 3 main wholesale markets, owned by the municipality, a cooperative, commission agents, or a private company, that would be reserved for only the highest quality produce. Contracts could be arranged with retailers interested in assured sources of supply and farmers interested in capturing higher margins for their higher quality produce. 16 Municipal Wholesale Markets The wholesale marketing system is composed of a central wholesale market in Amman, seven municipality wholesale markets, four assembly markets and one cut-flower wholesale market. The basic function of these markets is to provide a market place for producers, retailers, and commission agents to conduct selling and buying transactions. The Amman central wholesale market consists of 220 stalls for commission agents (of which 106 are rented to 82 commission agents at an annual rent of JD 2,000), 53 banana ripening units and 40 stalls for input dealers, importers, and banks. The seven wholesale markets have been established in Zarqa, lrbid, Jarash, Tafileh, Salt, Karak, and Mafraq . The number of commission agents operating in these wholesale markets is as: Zarqa, 20; Irbid, 40; Jarash, 13; Tafileh, 4; Salt, 4; Karak, 7; and Mafraq, 6. The wholesale markets of Amman, Irbid and Zarqa are the most important delivery points for farm produce. During 2002, these markets handled 915,164 tons of fruits and vegetables, the majority of which, 696,567 tons, were vegetables. About 95% of this volume is produced locally and 5% are imports. Amman is the key market handling 77% of the produce sold to through the three municipal markets in 2002; Irbid handled 17% and Zarka 6%. Only minor volumes move through the other wholesale markets, but no records are maintained. The three municipal markets handled 67% of total fruit and vegetable production in 2002; 47% of vegetable production and 31% of fruit production. Assembly markets Assembly markets were established in the Jordan Valley to provide farmers with marketing facilities, including storage, grading and packaging. Markets were established at Wadi Yabes in the Northern Ghor, Al-Arda (Maaddi) in the Middle Ghor, South Shouneh in the Southern Shor, and Al-Safi in the Karak/Safi Ghor. Presently, auctioning is carried out only at Al-Arda Market. The South Shouneh market was retained for export operations, but it is not operational. The other two markets are also not operational. Al-Arda Market is a seasonal market operating during winter, from December through June. Farmers bring their produce to the market to be sold at auction by commission agents. Some of the commission agents in the Amman Central Wholesale Market also operate in Al-Arda Market during its season. The Market now has 22 stalls, all of which are rented to commission agents and to the Potato Marketing Cooperative. The main buyers in the market are retailers from nearby towns and villages, commission agents (representatives of large middlemen in Amman Central Market) and some exporters who buy and repack produce for export, especially to Lebanon and GCCC markets during May. The limited number of commodities sold in the market dampens the interest of buyers. The quantities handled by this assembly market are limited. This may be due to the fact that many farmers are obliged to sending their produce to commission 17 agents in Amman (from whom they have received loans), or because they feel that they can obtain better prices and returns by selling at Amman. Now this market is managed by the Municipality of Maaddi. Sorting, Grading, and Packing Facilities Thirteen grading and packing facilities owned by the public and private sectors have been established in Jordan since the 1970s. These include two grading and packing centers owned by AMPCO and located at its marketing centers in South Shouneh and Wadi Yabes in addition to eleven units established by the private sector. The South Shouneh and Wadi Yabes grading and packing centers are owned by AMPCO. Other facilities include the following: • The Jordan Valley Corporation (JOVAC) station in the middle ghor grades vegetables, has a fruit and vegetable grading and packing capacity of 5 tons per hour. • Sharab station at Jwaideh, has a total packing capacity of 15 tons per hour. • Barrad al-Janoub packing station/Qastal area, has a total capacity of 5 tons per hour and is used mainly for grading and packing apples. It has complete lines for washing, drying, sizing, grading, waxing and packing. • Orient Company station at Deir Alia, for grading vegetables (5 tons/hour). • AFCO station at Yadoudeh for grading vegetables (5 tons/hour). • Abu El-Haj Farms station at Shoubak, for fruit and apple grading (5 tons/hour). • Olavyan and Al-Hashlamoun station at Shoubak for apple grading (5 tons/hour). • Zannouneh Farms station at Shoubak for apple grading (5 tons/hour). • Abdul-Hameed Al-Hashlamoun Farms station at Shoubak for apple grading (4-5 tons/hour). The following grading stations are not operational: • • • Shahine Sons packing station in the middle ghor. Ibrahim El-Sheikh packing station. Agrico packing station at El-Samek Packing and Packaging Materials Most fruits and vegetables are packed in polystyrene containers (5-10 kg capacity of 47 by 27 by 10 cm or 47 by 27 by 15 cm). This type of container is light but relatively weak, is not easy to clean, and does not offer proper ventilation or vertical support. Often the produce rests on itself during transportation. Other container types used are plastic and wooden. The use of the wooden container is declining and the use of the plastic containers (20-25 kg) is almost restricted to delivering tomatoes for processing. Three factories offer cardboard containers in different models and sizes, but they are used 18 mainly for export to GCC markets. The few successful exporters to the EU reported that the quality of domestic cardboard containers is inadequate. They import these materials. A major problem is overfilling containers as with some products properly filled containers carry a lower price at the municipal markets than over filled containers. This occurs because most fruits and vegetables are sold per container (per packing unit and not according to the weight per unit). Retail buyers are more likely to buy overfilled containers with subsequently greater proportions of damaged produce. Pre-Cooling Units At present, there are only three pre-cooling units in Jordan, and exporter interest in using the units is still low. Two of the three are owned by the private sector and the third was owned by the Agricultural Marketing Organization and was operated by JEPA. Cold storage Units There are 26 refrigerated stores in Jordan with a total storage capacity of 64,000 tons, one of which is at Queen Alia International Airport which opened in 1997 but is not now handling fruits and vegetables. The Airport coldstore is owned by Royal Jordanian Airline. About 50% of the other storage capacity is owned by the public sector and the remaining 50% by the private sector. Most fruits and vegetables have short shelf life and so must be marketed rapidly following harvest. These crops require only short, but critically important periods of cold storage. Longer periods of cold storage can be used for fruits such as apples and citrus. Many apple growers have their own cold storage rooms, while others rent such facilities for few months to store their produce. The capacity of cold storage facilities owned by apple growers is about 20,000 tons. In addition some cold storage facilities owned by the private sector were established for commercial purposes. Their capacity is estimated at 15,000 tons. These are used for apples, oranges, lemons, potatoes, onions and garlic. Key Constraints and Proposed Interventions All of the above constraints are important. Their solution can be considered as necessary to provide a foundation for increasing exports of high quality fruits and vegetables, but they are not sufficient to increasing exports. The few successful exporters to the EU in Jordan have managed to overcome these constraints with significant investments of money and effort. If the pace of improvements of these constraints were to remain unchanged over the next 3 to 5 years, we believe that the number of successful exporters to the EU will increase slowly increase, and that the volumes exported to the EU will increase slowly as well. At the same time, we believe that the solution of all of these 19 constraints will increase the number of exporters and the volume of exports only marginally, compared to the no change scenario. What then is needed to dramatically expand high quality produce exports? First, we can readily identify the supportive role that the government should play. This role should be limited to: • • • • • • Improve the export regulatory environment, Improve the extension service, Maintain accredited laboratories required to improve export efficiency, Provide a readily accessible domestic market information system; Give the AMD sufficient authority to implement a quality standards control system for exports and the domestic market; and, Possibly provide short-term financial incentives to encourage investments in export horticulture. The Government should have no role in assisting the private sector in marketing. The burden to dramatically expand volumes of high quality produce clearly should fall on the private sector. We contend that the KAFAA project should prioritize its interventions to focus on repairing and strengthening market linkages from production to export market. These linkages comprise several components. 1. Improved access to international buyers of high quality produce, particularly in the EU and GCC. These interactions will provide the correct market and product information (variety, price, volume, timing, packaging, payment terms, etc.) that serious and dedicated exporters need to meet buyer requirements. 2. Production linkages, with proper technology and other inputs, to larger numbers of farmers to leverage the capacity of the few producer/exporters that have the entrepreneurial and marketing expertise so they can substantially increase their exportable volume. 3. Government or private sector institutional support systems that can assist the producer/exporter to meet the quality requirements through extension support, EurepGAP certification, and pesticide residue analysis by accredited labs. 4. Financial support mechanisms to ease the investment burden required for cooling, sorting, and packing systems and conform to international standards such as EurepGAP. The discussion that follows will address the first three components as financial support mechanisms are beyond the scope of the KAFAA project. 20 Improved Access to International Buyers Understanding market requirements is the critical first step. Then interventions can be designed and implemented to meet market needs. The importance of meeting market needs is well understood by some exporters, particularly those oriented to EU markets which have far more discriminating consumers. Most Jordanian exporters that are oriented to Arab markets simply are not market focused. Rather, they focus on the produce they purchase direct from farmers or through the municipal wholesale markets, and because they deal with bulk low to mid quality product, price is usually the driving variable. Direct contact with international buyers addresses another concern expressed by many non-exporters interviewed for this mission - uncertainty about crop variety selection. Import buyer requirements will, depending on the commodity, include variety specification. This information is conveyed to the farmers that will supply exporters under supply arrangements such as production contracts. Farmers not working under supply arrangements can obtain this information via Ministry of Agriculture or private sector association market information website. Other dissemination methods to reach other farmers are discussed below. This does not mean that we propose to segregate the markets as high quality EU markets, which are promising, and low quality Arab markets, which are less promising. On the contrary, we believe that high quality retail grocery markets in Arab counties are even more important than EU markets for most current and prospective exporters for several reasons. One, EU product quality standards are more restrictive compared to Arab markets. Two, Western and Arab cultural dissimilarities are problematic for some, but certainly not all, exporters. (While this can complicate the buyer/seller relationship, an open-minded seller can surmount these problems through increased exposure to Western buyers.) Three, closer proximity should permit more frequent contact between buyer and seller so that accounts are well serviced. Fortunately, the World Bank project is directly supporting JEDCO to improve the capacity of the agency to promote horticulture exports. JEDCO does so through: • • • • Export market and demand studies such as the 2003 Holland market study. Study tours to export markets, such as the recent tour to Oman and the UAE, in which exporters can learn directly from importers and import agencies of the problems exporters must overcome to gain market access. The UAE tour reportedly resulted in a potential contract for $10 million in high quality produce. International tradeshow participation such as in February 2004 at Fruit Logistica in Berlin. JEDCO covers part of the cost for exporters to exhibit. Development of a web-based international market information system which will include access to a “how to” manual for exporters. 21 According to the World Bank project, because JEDCO is a public/private entity, JEDCO’s export promotional activities will ultimately be transferred to a private sector entity. One option discussed below is to transfer this function to JEPA. Promote Production Linkages among Exporters and Small Farmers The constraint to increasing exports that was most often raised in many discussions with private and public sector stakeholders during this market assessment mission was the lack of supply arrangements or production contracts between exporters and farmers. The absence of these production supply linkages means that exporters of high quality product are limited to the volumes they are able to produce on their own farms, and will be unable to satisfy the large volume demands of importers. Contract farming, common in many parts of the world, refers to advance agreements in which supermarket, processors, or hotel, restaurant, and institutional buyers will purchase a farmer’s or group of farmers’ products under specified conditions. In the absence of contracts, farmers face higher risk in order to meet production quality requirements without the technical and financial support of guaranteed markets and reliable contracts. In addition to a guaranteed market with pricing guarantees or guidelines, contracting firms often provide credit, seed and other production inputs and, in some cases, extension advice, where expertise from government extension agents is lacking. Production contracts are favored by buyers that need assured sources of supply, and are unwilling or unable to increase their own production. They are also popular with processors that require a variety of fruit or vegetable not commonly grown, e.g., an onion variety well suited to drying, or high solids potatoes for French fries. Workable contracts are based on trust. This makes the contracting process tenuous when buyers and sellers have little or no working history. The typical complaint by farmers is that firms renege on their promises of price and conditions of sale, such as quality specifications. Contracting firms in turn complain that farmers accept their credit, inputs and extension advice and then sell their crops elsewhere if the spot market price moves above the contracted price. A common problem with contracts is that the contract mechanism itself is emphasized rather than the relationship between producer and buyer and the benefits that both parties gain over the long term. Seasonal production and price variations will, depending on the kind of supply arrangement, invariably result in an advantage for one party over the other from season to season. Short production years and high market prices will favor the buyer with a fixed price contract at a lower than spot market price. The opposite will occur during high production seasons where market prices fall. This can be overcome by flexible pricing policies in the contracts. It can also be overcome by a realization that the arrangement is intended to be long term, and that in the long term advantages and disadvantages tend to be evenly distributed among the parties. 22 Another critical component is that the increasing importance of produce quality and safety requires that farmers supplying exporters to the EU become EurepGAP certified, and retailers of high quality produce in the GCC are moving to requiring GAP certification. This requires investments of money and effort by farmers. Two approaches to contract farming in Jordan have shown initial success, and should be considered as models to be replicated to expand the reach to other small farmers. The Modern Valley Farms Model Modern Valley Farms is the only EurepGAP certified exporter in Jordan and is exporting produce to the EU. The experience of Modern Valley Farms with contract growing arrangements illustrates the difficulties inherent in establishing such arrangements. Modern Valley started working with 22 satellite farmers 4 years ago. They now have formal supply arrangements with only 4. Part of the problem is attributable to Modern Valley Farms internal production systems, which have improved through their process of gaining EurepGAP certification. They found that most of the 22 original farmers were unable to adhere to EurepGAP standards. Shukry reports that now they are better prepared to expand from the current group of 4 satellite farmers. Integrated Agricultural Project Model The make-up of the Farm Owner’s Model is different from the more commercial approach by Modern Valley Farms in that it involves initial subsidies. The first pilot farm is being implemented on 510 dunum with 8 farmers growing okra and sweet peas. The startup costs of JD 150,000 were provided by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to pay for the farm manager, and structural changes and equipment required to bring the farms into EurepGAP compliance. Limited government funding is anticipated for the second year, and it is expected that the enterprise will be self-sustaining by the third year. The farmers, under the guidance of Mustafa Hamarneh, an agricultural consultant at the University of Jordan arranged a marketing contract with Modern Valley Farms who sold the okra, and will sell the sweet peas following harvest. Private Sector Institutional Support - the Role of JEPA Farmers and exporters that need help in horticulture production and marketing cannot rely on the government to provide the assistance. Notable exceptions are the World Bank project support of JEDCO, NCARTT and AMD. We believe that a private sector institution, specifically an association, is needed that can deliver fee-for-service technology transfer, export promotion, and other services to its members. Associations can be effective in developing economies where transparency is lacking and the systems governing business setup and operations often appear arbitrary, corrupt, 23 unequal, or unfair. Entrepreneurs do not have similar access to the various regulatory, license, finance and credit, and other authorities needed to establish and operate a business; the playing field is not level. Power and position can play a greater role in enterprise success than entrepreneurial skill. In this environment, confidence and trust in the system dissipates. It fosters a mindset of secrecy among successful entrepreneurs because of their often disparate and unique recipes for success. A unique path, if shared with others, eliminates a business advantage. Knowledge becomes more important and powerful. It is no wonder that associations face far greater obstacles in these environments. Members lack the willingness to cooperate, to share ideas and information necessary to empower the association to meet member’s objectives. Willingness to share follows from the common ground members occupy. A successful association must concentrate first and foremost on what the member’s customers need and provide a selected menu of services that allow the members to meet their customer’s needs. We contend that JEPA is the best candidate to provide these market and production linkage services, to find common ground among members, and to coordinate among JEDCO, AMD, NCARTT, and other donor related activities. JEPA was established in the mid-1990s and now has 51 members, of which about 6 ship to GCC markets, and 3 to 4 ship to EU and/or Eastern European markets. Several years ago, when JEPA membership was greater, many more exported to GCC markets. Most of those exporters left JEPA and now form the core of a group of that export large volumes of low to mid-quality produce to these markets. The majority is commission agents and most sell to the GCC on consignment basis. A strong JEPA can provide many valuable services and functions to its members and to the horticulture sub-sector at large. These may include: • Advocate for regulatory changes to support the produce export sub-sector. JEPA would analyze regulations to assess the costs and benefits of regulatory change, write position papers, and represent the private sector in dialogue with the government. An example would be the recommendation by JEPA management to petition the government to allow JEPA to issue Certificates of Origin rather than the Chamber of Commerce. Issuance of the Certificates would be a source of revenue for JEPA. For controversial or sensitive issues JEPA should request KAFAA to participate to present an objective position. • Self-regulate the sub-sector by requiring that all members adhere to a JEPA Code of Conduct that stipulates a minimum standard of conduct focusing on the elimination of extra-legal and unethical business practices. The Code can be used as promotional tool by JEPA. • Provide training for producer/exporters and, to the extent practical, public sector extension agents, in a variety of agronomic disciplines, Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and specifically EurepGAP, post-harvest handling, and packing and packaging. This can be coordinated with NCARTT (perhaps a fee based agreement with NCARTT) which will soon hire 16 Technical Transfer 24 Specialists (TTS) to train farmers in appropriate technology. Alternatively, JEPA could hire agricultural engineers to be trained by NCARTT to serve JEPA members, and possibly public sector extension agents. Another option is to send JEPA staff for training by the Horticultural Export Improvement Association (HEIA) in Cairo. HEIA has established a strong staff of training specialists.5 • Promote production linkages between JEPA exporters and farmers using the Modern Valley Farms or the Integrated Agricultural Projects model. JEPA would need to negotiate an agreement with Modern Valley Farms. A funding source must be identified if JEPA is to promote the Integrated model. • Work directly with JEDCO as it develops the web-based international market information system, so that JEPA can be prepared to assume responsibility for managing and maintaining the information system. • Establish a JEPA Seal of Quality based on a comprehensive quality control system with internal quality standards following the approach used by HEIA to develop its Seal of Quality. Only produce that meets these minimum quality standards are eligible to use the Seal. • Organize conferences and workshops and invite EU buyers to discuss consumption trends, market dynamics, and market requirements for fruits and vegetables. These services should be promoted to farmers as well as exporters and can be used to create a membership category for small farmers. Member dues for these farmers would be far less than for exporters and larger farmers and would not include full membership voting rights. We believe that JEPA is not prepared to assume the leadership role in the horticulture sub-sector as currently structured, financed, and operated. JEPA must be strengthened so it can become a self-sustaining association that can represent member interests in advocating for policy change, and attract and maintain a larger base of members willing to pay for services that offer value. Though an initial external source of funding is required, service fees and membership dues must reach a level to fully support the association, perhaps in 3 to 5 years. A number of interventions will be required to strengthen the association. We recommend the following: 5 • Hire a professional executive manager with experience in horticulture production and/or horticulture marketing. • The KAFAA project should provide a part-time institutional advisor who will do the following: Refer to the HEIA website for more information at www.heia.org 25 o Provide operational and strategic support to management and the Board of Directors; o Develop good association governance practices to ensure transparency to members; o Assist in redrafting the JEPA mission statement; o Assist is developing a JEPA Code of Conduct; o Ensure coordination between WB Export Promotion project sponsored activities (with JEDCO, AMD, and NCARTT) and KAFAA to avoid duplication and to ensure efficient use of financial and technical assistance; and, o Develop, with the board and the executive manager, a rational action plan for developing expertise to provide fee-based services for members, and guide the JEPA staff in executing the plan. • Hire a junior agricultural engineer to work directly with JEDCO to: o Develop expertise in conducting marketing studies, study tours, and participating in trade exhibitions; and, o Develop expertise in managing and maintaining the web-based international market information system so that JEPA becomes the natural home for the web-site when JEDCO transfers the site to the private sector. • Increase JEPA membership dues from JD 100 per year. The level of dues will depend, in part, on the level of services JEPA decides to offer, and the extent of outside funding available. • Establish a cost-sharing arrangement for services with members from the outset to avoid a common problem with externally financed associations; that services will continue to be free. JEPA will not be able to rely on external sources of finance in the long-term, and so will have to depend on service and membership dues revenues in order to be sustainable. Initial cost-sharing can be a small percentage of the cost of providing the service, but over time a larger portion of the cost burden can be shifted to members that receive the service. The cost recovery plan should be apparent to members from the beginning. • Board terms should be staggered. Currently, the entire Board is re-elected at the same time. Board terms should remain at 2 years, but elections should be held every year for only one-half of the Board. The other half can be elected the following year. 26 Export Market Dimensions6 Vegetable exports dominate fruit exports in terms of volume and rate of growth. In 2002 vegetable exports were 802,000 tons compared to 80,000 tons for fruit. During the 1995 to 2002 period, vegetable exports grew at an average annual rate of 17% compared to only 5% for fruits (Table 1). By far the dominant vegetable export is tomato, accounting for 26% of 2002 exports. Watermelon, lemon, and clementine made up 37% of total fruit exports. Jordan’s export orientation is clearly to Arab markets in the Gulf States (GCC) and to Syria and Lebanon. For example in 2002, 53% of vegetable production was exported to Arab markets compared to only 1.4% to European and other non-Arab markets. Fruit exports as a percentage of production are not as high; only 11% was exported to Arab markets and 0.2% to non-Arab markets. Vegetable exporters to Arab markets are concentrated in the June to Nov period (67% of total annual exports). The Jordanian vegetable export season is very long because of different ago climatic zones that allow production of different vegetables throughout the year. Vegetable exports to the EU are concentrated in the December to April period. Gulf and Middle East Markets Exports to the Middle East and Gulf markets are composed mostly of low to mid-quality bulk produce purchased through the three wholesale markets in Jordan and exported by truck. The primary competitors for GCC markets are Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, and Syria. Destination markets in 2002 are shown in Table 2. 6 Seminar on Development of fruits and vegetables production for export in Jordan. September 2000, sponsored by the French Embassy. 27 Table 1. Horticultural Production & Exports, 1995,1998-2002 (MT) Production 1995 1998 1999 2000 Tomato Cucumber Squash Pepper Green Beans Strawberry Grapes 608,000 89,000 45,000 14,000 23,000 505,000 85,000 57,000 23,000 18,000 545,000 109,000 43,000 24,000 10,000 618,000 84,000 56,000 25,000 18,000 527,500 97,300 45,200 26,900 14,600 683,000 154,200 50,900 26,200 19,500 57,000 59,000 53,000 67,000 80,500 64,000 1,304,000 447,000 1,232,000 614,000 1,203,000 482,000 1,529,000 659,000 877,900 623,500 1,484,149 717,300 131,409 29,256 16,078 12,549 7,836 189,877 27,402 17,149 20,712 14,410 180,216 26,011 13,621 15,426 8,195 189,958 30,419 15,728 13,557 7,644 855 1,051 904 1,121 201,273 30,722 16,414 16,364 6,748 7 989 204,183 31,478 21,198 20,978 8,525 103 671 255,046 56,606 377,722 53,636 314,151 41,660 340,113 41,727 739,054 75,241 781,428 78,954 1,549 1,109 248 620 399 2,279 1,384 282 647 574 6,606 2,048 303 1,943 870 22 138 2,539 1,310 184 645 255 25 49 7,920 1,583 281 568 117 60 70 Total Vegetables Total Fruits Export to Arab Countries Tomato Cucumber Squash Pepper Green Beans Strawberry Grapes Total Vegetables Total Fruits Export to non-Arab Countries Tomato Cucumber Squash Pepper Green Beans Strawberry Grapes Total Vegetables Total Fruits Total Export Tomato Cucumber Squash Pepper Green Beans Strawberry Grapes Total Vegetables Total Fruits 2001 2002 437 349 2,011 1,551 229 1,575 630 28 217 4,626 786 7,230 965 8,773 1,483 14,247 476 12,508 899 21,487 1,174 132,958 303,365 16,326 13,169 8,235 192,156 28,786 17,431 21,359 14,984 1,292 1,400 182,227 27,562 13,850 17,001 8,825 28 1,121 196,564 32,467 16,031 15,500 8,514 22 1,259 203,811 32,032 16,598 17,009 7,003 32 1,038 212,103 33,061 21,479 21,546 8,641 163 741 259,672 384,952 322,924 354,360 751,562 802,915 57,392 54,601 43,143 42,203 76,140 80,127 Exports as % of Production Fruits to Arab Countries Vegetables to Arab Countries 13% 20% 9% 31% 9% 26% 6% 22% 12% 84% 11% 53% Fruits to non-Arab Countries Vegetables to non-Arab Countries 0.2% 0.4% 0.2% 0.6% 0.3% 0.7% 0.1% 0.9% 0.1% 1.4% 0.2% 1.4% Total Fruits Total Vegetables 13% 20% 9% 31% 9% 27% 6% 23% 12% 86% 11% 54% 28 Table 2. Jordan Exports of Fruits and Vegetables to Middle East and Gulf Markets, 2002 Saudi Arabia UAE Qatar Bahrain Kuwait Oman Syria Lebanon Others Fruits Tons 10,124 8,775 9,508 7,367 16,889 1,498 8,314 16,466 13 Vegetables Tons 0 254,486 77,971 74,463 142,773 56,820 123,630 51,284 1 Total 78,954 781,428 EU Fruit Markets 7 In 2001, EU imports of fruits represented a value of about $14.4 billion of which non-EU countries supplied 42%. Fruit imports were about 18.5 million tons. Germany is the major market accounting for 24% of total import volume in 2001, followed by the UK (16%) and France (13%). The leading imported fresh fruit product in 2001 was bananas followed by apples, grapes, and oranges. More than seventy countries are responsible for the immense product flow directed at the European countries. The share of developing countries in EU imports of fresh fruit amounted to 35% in 2001. The leading developing country suppliers of fresh fruit were South Africa, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile and Columbia. Total developing countries’ share of EU fruit imports in 2001 was 35%. Significant EU import destinations for developing countries are in declining order: The Netherlands, Spain, UK, Italy, France, and Germany. For example, 57% of The Netherlands fruit imports in 2001 were from developing countries, while exports from these sources accounted for only 14% of Germany’s imports. Strawberries Strawberries offers good potential for profitable Jordanian exports to the EU and GCC markets as the markets are large and growing in most West European countries and GCC markets. Off-season prices are quite high, and with appropriate technology Jordanian growers could supply these markets particularly during the highest price periods. EU imports (including intra-EU trade) of strawberry have increased rapidly. From 1990 to 7 Refer to Annex A for EU market access details by crop. 29 2001, imports of strawberries increased at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent. Germany and France are the largest strawberry importers in the EU. During the offseason period from November to April in 2000 the two countries combined for about 156,000 tons of imports. The UK is a smaller market with only 19,000 tons of imports during the off-season period in 2000. While the Netherlands looks like a large importer, that is partly due to the importance of Rotterdam as major port for incoming produce destined for the rest of the EU. Total EU imports during the November to April period were 228,000 tons in 2000, but 203,000 tons were accounted for by Spain. The major non-EU suppliers are Poland, US, Israel, and Morocco. Spain is the major player in the late summer market and like Spain has access by truck which provides a transport cost advantage over non-EU suppliers. Non-EU imports fluctuate partly in response to the size of local harvests, but this effect is limited to small part of season when local production is possible. Spanish supplies enter the market in February and reach their peak in April and May, Morocco and Israel are the significant off-season suppliers beginning in July through November. The Jordan - EU partnership agreement limits the exports to the period of January to March, and limits the exports from Jordan of 100 tons to the entire EU. Table Grapes The largest markets are Germany, France, UK, and Netherlands. Germany is the largest consuming country of these four with imports amounting to 363,000 tons in 2001, and is by far the largest importing country as domestic supply is almost nonexistent. France is the second largest importer with 135,000 tons followed by UK with 135,000 tons, and finally Netherlands with 117,000 tons. Total imports of table grape for the four markets amounted for 783,000 tons or 91% of total EU grape imports in 2001. The four largest markets are still unsaturated and open for off-season suppliers during the December to July market window. Italy, Greece and Spain supply most of the grapes to the EU market. Italian supplies enter first into the market in June with small supplies and then as the Italian season comes into full swing by September and October with Italian supplies reaching 70,000 tons per month. Italian supplies trail off abruptly in late October, but continue into November. Greek supplies appear in the EU market during the same market period as Italy. Greek supplies begin in July and peak in October. Spain is the third largest supplier. Spain enters the market in July and August, decreases rapidly, and then enters the market again in November. Chile and South Africa are the largest suppliers in the off-season. Chile begins to supply the market during January and continues to supply until April. South Africa supplies the EU market during the same period as Chile. Jordan can supply this market during the same period. 30 Galia Melons Germany has no domestic production of Galia melons. Imports in 2001 were almost 90,000 tons. Spain is the major Galia supplier to the German market; however imports from Costa Rica and South Africa play a significant role. The market is unsaturated during the winter months from November to April. Germany offers suppliers a market of more than 80,000 tons during the winter season. UK imports of Galia have almost doubled during 1998 to 2001. Imports from Northern America dominate the market and compete directly with Spanish production. The UK market offers competitors with a market of more than 50,000 tons of Galia melons each year. French consumers prefer the Chanterais melon. Import trends have increased substantially from 1998 to 2001. Morocco is the most important non-EU supplier to the French market. However, significant volumes of melons are shipped from Central America. France offers an annual import market of about 40,000 tons of Chanterais melons. The Netherlands melon market is primarily for re-export, primarily to Scandinavia. The Netherlands market is open to non-EU supplies moreso than any other EU markets. Central American suppliers play a significant role in the Netherlands melon market. The Netherlands Galia melon import market is about 35,000 tons per year. The Italian demand for Galia melons far exceeds local production resulting in an import market of about 30,000 tons of per year. EU Vegetable Markets Although smaller than fruit, EU imports of fresh vegetables amounted to almost $7.8 billion or 8.7 million tons in 2001. Given the larger production base, vegetable imports from outside the EU are a much smaller percentage than fruit; only 14% of total vegetable imports are from outside the EU. Germany was the leading fresh vegetable importer, accounting for 30% of total EU import volume in 2001, followed by the UK (17%) and France (16%). The leading imported fresh vegetable is tomato, accounting for almost 25% EU vegetable imports. Other leading products are capsicum/pimiento, lettuce/chicory, onions, mushrooms, and cucumbers. The primary developing country suppliers of vegetables are Morocco, Kenya, Turkey, Egypt, and Thailand. Developing countries play a significant import role in peas and beans and sweet corn. Smaller, but still important import shares occur for asparagus, onions, and eggplant. About 29% of Spain’s imports are from developing countries compared to 20% for France, and 12% each for Italy and the UK. Fine Green Beans Two types of beans are imported by the EU – fine/extra-fine, and bobby beans. 31 European consumers prefer fine/extra-fine beans that are straight, thin, and tender with low fiber content, compared to bobby beans. Prices and potential profit margins for fine beans in the EU are high, especially during the off-season. With appropriate production and post-harvest technology, Jordanian growers could supply the EU during the highest price periods. The two largest EU bean-importing countries are Netherlands and France, each importing between 25,000 tons and 35,000 tons per year. France is a major market but prices until recently were significantly lower. While the Netherlands is a major import market, much is trans-shipped to other EU markets, especially Germany. The UK is a somewhat smaller but highly profitable market. Netherlands imports amounted to 24% of total EU green bean imports in 2001. France, Germany and UK imports amounted to 23%, 12% and 7%, respectively. The three countries absorb more than two thirds of total EU imports. The major intra-EU suppliers are Spain, Netherlands and France. EU production is concentrated from June through August. Kenya, Egypt, Senegal and Burkina Faso are the major non-EU suppliers and Morocco has become more important in recent years. Kenya ships throughout the year, with major concentrations in December to February and May to June. Egyptian exports also tend to be concentrated in December to February and April to May. Burkina Faso and Senegal also compete in the winter market. Kenya, Morocco and Senegal tend to produce and ship fine beans, while Egypt, Spain, Senegal and Ethiopia primarily produce bobby beans. The US produces large volumes of high quality green beans, but high production and transport costs make it uncompetitive in the EU market. Though airfreight dominates transportation because of the short shelf life, controlled atmosphere transport via truck/sea/truck or truck alone is technically and commercially feasible and could reduce Jordanian delivered costs significantly. The prime market window for Jordan is December to May. The best profit margin for Germany appears to be in February, March and May. The smaller UK market has good profit potential during the entire year. The French wholesale prices are somewhat lower than in the UK market. Jordanian exporters can make their best profits in March and in October. Profit potentials are also reasonably good in October to November, but exporters should avoid the May to September period. The Netherlands wholesale prices are even lower than in the French market and are very stable throughout the year. There is no highly attractive market window in The Netherlands. The large size of the potential EU market available to Jordan is underscored by an analysis made by the USAID ALEB8 project in Egypt. The project determined that the potential EU market for fine green beans available to Egyptian exporters was as high as 15,800 tons per month based on CIF prices of $1.17 per kg CIF. 8 Egypt Fresh Produce Export Opportunities to the European Union 2003. ALEB project. Douglas Anderson, BMA and Ali A. El-Saied, Ph.D. 32 Cherry Tomatoes EU off-season imports are estimated at 30,000 tons, as data on cherry tomatoes typically is not segregated from other tomatoes. The primary import markets are the UK, France, Belgium and Switzerland. Competition comes from Canary Islands, Morocco, Senegal and Israel (West bank). Israel exported 14,500 tons of cherry tomatoes to the EU in 2000 mostly from December to April. Senegal exported 1,900 tons. Israel exports have increased from 5,450 tons in 1995 to 14,500 tons in 2000. In Germany the most favorable wholesale prices occur from November to February. Supply to the German market is concentrated during the period April to October. Major competitors during this period are the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, and Morocco. The UK market for cherry tomatoes is about half the size of the German market, with imports of about 300,000 tons per year. The major supplier is Spain, dominating the market from November to April, supplying 70% of annual imports. The Netherlands supplies year-round, with largest supplies from May until October. Other suppliers are France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal. The UK wholesale prices appear to be higher than in Germany and are most favorable during October to March. The Jordan-EU partnership agreement allows for full customs exemptions on imports from January through the end of March. Snow and Snap Peas Limited data is available on these products. EU imports were estimated at 15,000 tons in 2000 double the 1995 import volume. Imports are fairly regular throughout the season. Leading exporters are Kenya, Guatemala and Morocco. Snap peas are preferred in the UK and snow peas in France. Asparagus Estimated EU imports in 2000 were 16,000 tons, and are concentrated in the November to March period. Imports include white, green, and purple varieties. White asparagus is in greater demand with higher prices than white and green. Imports from Peru and South Africa are dominant. The two exporters have more than 85% of the total market. Consumption is higher in Germany and in Switzerland and lower in the UK Other EU Crop Opportunities The USAID Agriculture Led Export Business (ALEB) project in Egypt completed a study “Fresh Product Export Opportunities to the EU – 2003” in which the project identified EU market windows for several crops in addition to those discussed above. The conclusions of the ALEB report are indicative of the opportunities available to Jordan, 33 though details on the size of the market window available to Egyptian exporters will differ from those available to Jordanian exporters because of different CIF prices and harvest times. The ALEB report findings include the following: Crop Export Window Volume - 2002 130,000 30,000 EU Market Window GCC Market Window Major Competitors Year-round Nov- Apr India, Argentina France Green Onions 20,000 Year-round None Lebanon, Nov – Apr None Fresh Onions 30,000 Nov-Apr Nov- Apr Dry Onions 40,000 Year-round Year-round Fresh Garlic 45,000 Year-round Year-round Sweet Potato 22,000 Year-round Year-round Dates 80,000 Year-round None Okra Baby Corn 5,000 10,000 Winter Year round Year-round None Herbs Artichoke 34 Israel, Morocco, EU India, Pakistan, Morocco India, Pakistan, Morocco China, India, Argentina South Africa Israel Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco Israel, EU Israel, EU Annex A. EU-Jordan Partnership Agreement The Agreement constitutes of an agricultural calendar that organizes Jordan’s exports of agricultural products to the EU market as follows: • Products exported free of customs duties and with neither tariff quotas nor time restrictions include: molochia, okra, certain types of pepper, dates, dried vegetables, citrus juices, crushed red pepper, grapefruit, and orange. • Products exported free of customs duties and with no tariff quotas but within an agreed timetable include: tomato, garlic, cucumber, beans, aubergines, sweet pepper, parsley, courgettes, fennel, melon, watermelon, Onions and shallots, Carrots, celery, and fresh grapes. • Products exported free of customs duties but with agreed tariff quotas and timetables include: new potatoes, cabbage, lettuce, asparagus and strawberry. • Products exported without tariff quotas and timetables and with reduced customs duties include: mango, and guava. • Products exported free of customs duties but with agreed tariff quotas and without timetables include: processed fruit and vegetables, tomato concentrates, white cheese of sheep milk, fresh mandarins, fresh lemons, roses, and cut flowers. • Products exported within agreed timetable and with reduced customs duties include figs. Tax exemptions and/or reductions are categorized as follows: 1- 100% exemption with no quotas and no time tables of entry: Green Pepper, Jew's Mallow, Okra, Dates, watermelon peels, citrus peals, dried pepper 2- Less than 100% exemptions with no quotas and no time tables of entry: Mango, guava (40%) 3- Less than 100% exemptions with no quotas and with time tables of entry: figs (20/5-1-9 at 40%) 4- 100% exemption with no quotas and with time tables of entry: Onion, carrots, cucumber parsley, watermelon, pomegranates. 5- 100% exemption with no quotas but the imported quantities should be checked periodically to make sure of not affecting the local products in EU. In this case the EU will set reference quantities, if the quantities increased over them, the following actions will be taken: • • • • • • Pay full duties: Onion, onion, roots, and potato seeds, grapes during 1/211/7, sweet melon weighting less than 600 grams during 1/11-31/5 Pay reduced duties: tomatoes during 1/12-31/3 (60%), garlic during 1/2315 (50%) Green beans during 1/11-30/4 (60%) Eggplant during 1/12-30/4 (60%) Green Pepper during 15/11-30/4 (40%) Oranges (60%) 35 • Grapefruit (80%) 6- 100% exemption with quotas9, if the quantities increased over the reference quantities, the following actions will be taken: Full duties: white cheese (100 tons), roses (shrubs) (100 tons), new potatoes during 1/1-31/3 (1000 tons), lettuce during 1/11-31/3 (200 tons), Asparagus during 1/8-31/3 (100 tons) Strawberry during 1/1-31/3 (100 tons) tomato paste (4000 ton)10 EU Entry-price system In principle, the price setting of products in a free market is established on the basis of demand and supply. However, in the EU the price setting for imported fruit and vegetables is regulated following the so-called entry-price system. This system came to replace the reference price system, which set import duties on fruit and vegetables until the end of 1994. The entry-price system became operational on January 1, 1995. The entry price system establishes an EU entry (i.e. minimum) price. If a product’s import price lies under this entry-price, a duty is imposed (depending on the difference between the two prices). The entry-price system applies to tomatoes, apples, lemons, cucumbers and courgettes the entire year and to other products during certain periods. Following the entry-price system, the value of every imported ‘party’ (the terminology used in the official documents) must in principle conform to the entry price. If a ‘party’ is imported at a price under the entry-price, an extra agricultural duty will be applied in addition to the Customs duty. With this agricultural duty the price ranges between 100% and 102 % of the entry price. The agricultural duty is applied as follows: • When the value of the imported party is between 92 percent and 94 percent of the entryprice, 8 percent of the entry-price will be added to the normal Customs duty • When the value of the imported party is between 94 percent and 96 percent of the entryprice, 6 percent of the entry-price will be added to the normal Customs duty • When the value of the imported party is between 96 percent and 98 percent of the entryprice, 4 percent of the entry-price will be added to the normal Customs duty • When the value of the imported party is between 98 percent and 100 percent of the entry-price, 2 percent of the entry-price will be added to the normal Customs duty. Parties, which are imported at less than 92 percent of the entry-price, will be penalized by an extra levy, known as the maximum tariff equivalent. For apples and pears the limit is set at 86 percent and for lemons at 84 percent of the entry price. 9 the addition of the reference quantities only pay the duties Reference quantities for tomato paste will increase at 3% annually for four years only. 10 36 The following table lists the products to which the entry-price system applies, together with the periods during which the entry price is effective, the entry price and the maximum tariff equivalent. EU Entry Prices and maximum tariff rate equivalent for fresh fruit and vegetables (in Euro/100kg) Fresh Vegetables Period Entry Price Max Tariff Equivalent Tomatoes 1/1– 31/3 1/4– 30/4 1/5– 14/5 15/5– 31/5 1/6– 30/9 1/10– 20/12 21/12– 31/12 84.6 112.6 72.6 72.2 52.6 62.6 67.6 29.8 29.8 29.8 29.8 29.8 29.8 29.8 Cucumbers 1/1– end/2 1/3– 30/4 1/5– 30/9 1/10– 10/11 11/11– 31/12 67.5 110.5 48.1 68.3 60.5 37.8 37.8 37.8 37.8 37.8 Artichokes 1/1– 31/5 1/6– 30/6 1/11– 31/12 82.6 65.4 94.3 22.9 22.9 22.9 Courgettes 1/1– 31/1 1/2– 31/3 1/4– 31/5 1/6– 31/7 1/8– 31/12 48.8 41.3 69.2 41.3 48.8 15.2 15.2 15.2 15.2 15.2 Oranges 1/1– 31/5 1/12– 31/12 35.4 35.4 7.1 7.1 Clementine 1/1– end/2 1/11– 31/12 64.9 64.9 10.6 10.6 Monreales and satsumas 1/1– end/2 1/12– 31/12 28.6 28.6 10.6 10.6 Mandarins and wilkings 1/1– end/2 1/11– 31/12 28.6 28.6 10.6 10.6 Tangerines 1/1– end/2 1/11– 31/12 28.6 28.6 10.6 10.6 Fresh Fruits 37 Other citrus hybrids 1/1– end/2 1/11– 31/12 28.6 28.6 10.6 10.6 Lemons 1/1– 31/5 1/6– 31/10 1/11– 31/12 46.2 55.8 46.2 25.6 25.6 25.6 Grapes 21/7– 31/10 1/11– 20/11 54.6 47.6 9.6 9.6 Apples 1/1– 30/6 1/7– 31/12 56.8 45.7 23.8 23.8 Pears 1/1– 30/4 1/7– 31/7 1/8– 31/10 1/11– 31/12 51 46.5 38.8 51 23.8 23.8 23.8 23.8 Apricots 1/6– 20/6 21/6– 30/6 1/7– 31/7 107.1 87.3 77.1 22.7 22.7 22.7 Cherries 21/5– 31/5 1/6– 31/7 1/8– 10/8 149.4 125.4 91.6 27.4 27.4 27.4 Peaches and nectarines 11/6– 20/6 21/6– 31/7 1/8– 30/9 88.3 77.6 60 13 13 13 Plums 11/6– 30/9 69.6 10.3 38
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